Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This Non-Final office is a response to the papers filed on 04/25/2023.
Claims 1-13 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HIDETOSHI (CN Pub. No. 110182091 A).
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Hidetoshi discloses:
A charge control device configured to control a plurality of charge facilities, the plurality of charge facilities each being electrically connectable to an electrically driven vehicle on which a storage battery is mounted, the plurality of charge facilities each being configured to supply a charging current to the storage battery of the electrically driven vehicle (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle…..), which is electrically connected, within a range not exceeding a charging current value allocated by the charge control device (see page 5 paragraph 7-8 and page 6 paragraph 1-3, control circuits in the multiple charger 300 of 330 in the case of simultaneously supplying charging power to the 2 vehicle, the supply of charging power does not exceed its own capable of distributing charging power to each vehicle in the range of the power output……), the charge control device comprising:
a communicator configured to communicate with each of the plurality of charge facilities (see Fig. 1, see page 5, para 2-3 and para 5-6, the vehicle 1 communicate with the multiple charger 300, but the communication between them is defined as condition through CAN communication…., see page 3, last two para and page 4 first 2 para);
a determiner configured to determine the charging current value to be allocated to each of the plurality of charge facilities (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle…..); and
a controller configured to cause the communicator to transmit the charging current value determined by the determiner to each of the plurality of charge facilities (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle….., see page 8, last two para and page 9, first two para),
the determiner being configured to
make an allocation of one or more first current values respectively to one or more charge facilities which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and each of which is not supplying the charging current (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle….., see page 8, last two para and page 9, first two para),
make an allocation of one or more second current values respectively to one or more charge facilities which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and each of which is supplying the charging current (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle….., see page 8, last two para and page 9, first two para), and
determine the allocation of the one or more first current values and the allocation of the one or more second current values such that a total of the one or more first current values and the one or more second current values does not exceed an upper limit value which is predetermined (see page 5 paragraph 7-8 and page 6 paragraph 1-3, control circuits in the multiple charger 300 of 330 in the case of simultaneously supplying charging power to the 2 vehicle, the supply of charging power does not exceed its own capable of distributing charging power to each vehicle in the range of the power output……).
Regarding claim 2, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to determine each of the one or more second current values to be a current value larger than or equal to each of the one or more first current values (see page 5 last para and page 6 first para, may also be assigned to vehicle 60kW first station, allocating a 100kW to a second station of the vehicle…..).
Regarding claim 3, Hidetoshi discloses:
Wherein the determiner is configured to determine each of the one or more first current values to be a value smaller than or equal to a minimum value of the charging current required to charge the storage battery (see page 5 last para and page 6 first para, may also be assigned to vehicle 60kW first station, allocating a 100kW to a second station of the vehicle…..[wherein the charger power value is adjustable. Therefore, setting the first current values to be a value smaller than or equal to a minimum value of the charger current is controllable]).
Regarding claim 4, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the plurality of charge facilities are each configured to be charged via an electric path protected by one or more circuit breakers, and the determiner is configured to set the upper limit value such that a current value when each of the one or more circuit breakers breaks the electric path due to overcurrent is not exceeded (see page 11, ECU100 determined in S194 is received the information expressing the set charger exception flag (the S194 is "yes"), executing the abnormal stopping process (S193)…., As a specific example of the abnormal stopping process of S193, ECU100 charger 300 transmits stop instruction to the multi-DC charging. Furthermore, ECU100 the charge relay 31, 32 set in the disconnected state…..).
Regarding claim 5, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to determine the allocation of the one or more first current values and the allocation of the one or more second current values such that a total value of a load current flowing to a load other than the plurality of charge facilities, the one or more first current values, and the one or more second current values does not exceed the upper limit value (see page 9 to page 10, performed in DC charging of the vehicle 1 compared to when the charging voltage increases and reduces the charging current…, see page 5 last para and page 6 first para, see page 11).
Regarding claim 6, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to, when a difference between a total value of the one or more second current values and the upper limit value is less than or equal to a prescribed margin value, reduce the second current value allocated to at least one of the one or more charge facilities (see page 9 to page 10, performed in DC charging of the vehicle 1 compared to when the charging voltage increases and reduces the charging current…, see page 5 last para and page 6 first para, see page 11).
Regarding claim 7, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to, in response to a change in number of the one or more charge facilities each of which is not supplying the charging current, change each of the one or more first current values in accordance with the number of the one or more charge facilities (see page 3, in the case of using multiple charger for charging of the electricity storage device mounted on a vehicle, even when the number of the vehicle is changed and connected with the multiple charger charging power is changed…., see page 9 and 11).
Regarding claim 8, Hidetoshi discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to, in response to a change in number of the one or more charge facilities each of which is supplying the charging current, change each of the one or more second current values in accordance with the number of the one or more charge facilities (see page 3, in the case of using multiple charger for charging of the electricity storage device mounted on a vehicle, even when the number of the vehicle is changed and connected with the multiple charger charging power is changed…., see page 9 and 11).
Regarding claim 9, Hidetoshi discloses:
an acquirer configured to acquire a measured value of the charging current supplied from each of the plurality of charge facilities, wherein the determiner is configured to increase the second current value allocated to one of the one or more charge facilities when a total value of the measured value acquired by the acquirer is smaller than a total value of the one or more second current values (see page 5-6, he control circuit 330 the DC vehicle firstly end than the second charging condition of the first vehicle in the charging power supplied to the first stage again is changed to 160kW…., may also be assigned to vehicle 60kW first station, allocating a 100kW to a second station of the vehicle….).
Regarding claim 11, Hidetoshi discloses:
the plurality of charge facilities configured to be controlled by the charge control device, the plurality of charge facilities each being configured to supply the charging current such that each of the one or more second current values indicated by the charge control device is not exceeded (see page 5 paragraph 7-8 and page 6 paragraph 1-3, control circuits in the multiple charger 300 of 330 in the case of simultaneously supplying charging power to the 2 vehicle, the supply of charging power does not exceed its own capable of distributing charging power to each vehicle in the range of the power output……, see page 6).
Regarding claim 12, Hidetoshi discloses:
the charge control method comprising:
a step of making an allocation of one or more first current values respectively to one or more charge facilities which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and each of which is not supplying the charging current (see Fig. 1, ECU, electronic control unit 100), see page 5, paragraph 6-8 to page 6 paragraph 1-3, be noted that multiple charger 300 is not limited being capable of simultaneously supplying the structure of charge power to 2 vehicles……, the control circuit 330 be assigned to vehicle 100kW first station, allocating a 60kW to a second station of the vehicle….., see page 8, last two para and page 9, first two para); and
a step of making an allocation of one or more second current values respectively to one or more charge facilities which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and each of which is supplying the charging current, the charge control method determining the allocation of the one or more first current values and the allocation of the one or more second current values such that a total of the one or more first current values and the one or more second current values does not exceed an upper limit value which is predetermined (see page 5 paragraph 7-8 and page 6 paragraph 1-3, control circuits in the multiple charger 300 of 330 in the case of simultaneously supplying charging power to the 2 vehicle, the supply of charging power does not exceed its own capable of distributing charging power to each vehicle in the range of the power output……).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HIDETOSHI (CN Pub. No. 110182091 A) in view of Pan et al. (CN Pub. 109378879 A).
Regarding claim 10, Hidetoshi fails to disclose:
wherein the determiner is configured to increase each of the one or more second current values to be assigned respectively to one or more charge facility which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and which are charged with priority to be larger than each of the one or more second current values to be assigned respectively to one or more charge facilities which are not charged with priority.
Thus, Pan discloses:
wherein the determiner is configured to increase each of the one or more second current values to be assigned respectively to one or more charge facility which are included in the plurality of charge facilities and which are charged with priority to be larger than each of the one or more second current values to be assigned respectively to one or more charge facilities which are not charged with priority (see page 4, or adjusting power of charging duration is longer the higher the priority is….., the ratio is lower for adjusting power of the higher the priority is. then, after charging the vehicle for power adjustment according to user level of priority ordering…..).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified a method of vehicle and charging information for informing the vehicle of Hidetoshi to include of charge facilities which are charged with priority in order to charging the vehicle for power adjustment according to user level of priority ordering, such as VIP member (see Yan page 5)
Conclusion
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/BRIAN NGO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851